Been feeling tired, irritable with unexplained weight gain especially around the middle? Concerned about excessive hair loss, fertility or aching muscles and joints? Is sleep and libido at an all-time low? Have you noticed your neck is thicker than normal? Are you craving sugar or coffee for a “pick me up” at around 3 pm? Do you find yourself walking into a room forgetting what you came in for, more regularly than you care to admit? Sound familiar? Don’t despair you’re not losing your mind but you might be losing the normal function of your thyroid!

WHAT IS HYPOTHYROIDISM?
Hypothyroidism is the term given when the thyroid (a butterfly-shaped gland in front of your neck) fails to produce sufficient thyroid hormones, but what exactly does this actually mean for you?

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS?

Indications that you have hypothyroidism can be numerous and are generally insidious in onset making them hard to definitively pinpoint, but common signs and symptoms are:

• Slow wound healing
• Increased hair loss
• Loss of hair from the outer third of the eyebrows
• Menstrual irregularities and compromised fertility
• Reduced libido
• Poor memory and/or concentration
• Sleep disorders
• Food intolerances
• Hoarse voice
• Elevated cholesterol
• Slow heart rate

Symptoms can range in severity and number, leading the typical hypothyroid patient to literally walk around for years feeling “not quite right” before seeking a definitive answer. So why has your thyroid decided to grind to a halt? More importantly, what can you do?

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

Causes of hypothyroidism can be multifactorial, meaning it might not just be one thing, in fact, more often than not, it is several.

Autoimmune Disease
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is an autoimmune disease that causes auto-antibodies to attack your tissues, including your thyroid gland. After a while, the thyroid becomes damaged and unable to produce thyroid hormones properly. It’s the most common cause of hypothyroidism and may be the result of genetics or other environmental triggers.

Nutrient Deficiency
A deficiency in the trace mineral iodine or excessive intake of goitrogens may hinder your bodies ability to manufacture sufficient amounts of thyroid hormone.

Environmental
Exposure to chemical residues in contaminated soil and water or exposure to other environmental toxins like radiation, cigarette smoke and pesticides can also impact thyroid function.

Medical treatment
Sometimes anti-thyroid medications or radioactive iodine treatments used to treat hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) can be too effective and cause permanent hypothyroidism.

Pituitary and Hypothalamus
The relationship between our pituitary gland and hypothalamus and our thyroid is extremely close. When our thyroid hormone levels drop, our hypothalamus signals the pituitary to inform the thyroid to increase hormone output. Things like hypothalamic or pituitary radiotherapy, surgery, masses, tumours or dysfunction, impact their ability to communicate properly with the thyroid and therefore produce hormones.

Pregnancy
As if new mothers didn’t have enough on their plates already, hypothyroidism may also rear its ugly head during pregnancy or shortly after delivery. If left untreated during pregnancy, it can increase the chance of complications such as preeclampsia, miscarriage and premature birth.

Congenital disease
In some cases, the thyroid gland does not develop as it should and infants are born with either no thyroid gland or one that is defective.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

So you’ve been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, you’ve been handed a bunch of test results and probably a script for thyroid replacement hormone, but you still feel terrible. Well, there are some simple things that anyone can start doing right now about this condition.

Environment – There are a lot of chemicals that we come into contact with every day that disrupts our immunity; the simple act of preparing food can contain unwanted chemicals on cookware, food storage containers, wrap and cleaning chemicals used on surfaces and dishwashers. Even growing our own food can be a hazardous choice if the soil has not been tested for toxic residues. Use glass cookware and storage containers where possible and opt for a plant-based, grey water safe cleaning product.

Diet – As mentioned, you want to be avoiding as many chemicals as possible so go organic wherever you can. It is not advised for hypothyroid patients to eat goitrogens, such as cabbage, broccoli or soy without cooking.

Lifestyle – Make sure you get appropriate testing. Vitamin D and iron both play a big part in our immune system so it’s important that we know we have sufficient levels.

Habits – If you are a smoker, now may be the time to quit so start planning and get some resources in place to ensure your success.

Herbs and supplements – This is where we come in. Herbs and supplements are powerful tools in the arsenal against Hypothyroidism and Hashimotos and your naturopath can formulate a broad range of herbs and supplements specific to you to get your body back on track. Information about possible natural treatments seems to be abundant at the moment, unfortunately, none of it takes into account your personal health history and circumstances. The truth is each case is different so your requirements for these treatments will always be individual and needs experience in prescribing. There is no “one size fits all” if you are looking for a solid solution.

HOW CAN I GET THE PROFESSIONAL HELP I NEED?

Our Naturopath Jess Pensa is our thyroid guru! Having close family members suffer from Hashimoto disease she has made it her life’s mission to help those that matter most. This desire to seek a more rounded and holistic approach in treating the body and in particular the thyroid, triggered her career as a Naturopath. Jess understands the diligence required to individualise treatment programs using tried and tested strategies to get the best results possible. The endocrine system is a complex system requiring a delicate balance, so one thing is for sure, one size definitely does not fit all!